CHEAP CONTRACTS.

Northern Advocate, 14 August 1929, Page 3

CHEAP CONTRACTS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—At the recent meeting of the Whangarei County Council, tenders were called for 33 chains of metalling >on the Marua-Otonga road. The speei (ications distinctly stated that the metal should be taken from the quarry on the road opposite Mr R. S. McKenzie’s gate. The tenderers scut in bids from all quarries concentrically round the road. The lowest tender was three shillings and twopence from the, first quarry mentioned, and the* others varied from three shillings and elevenpence .to four shillings and twopence and five shillings arid elevenpence, all metal to be broken to twoineh. Now. sir, there must be -superineu these days.to do things at the prices .aforementioned. The Council promptly shelved the whole tenders for another month. To be fair, how can any engineer enforce the .specification? on the. prices submitted l , -and how can any surfaceman who spreads the metal enforce his instructions from the engineer? I think the council should reject any tender that is below the ongineerte estimate, and not give way to cheap and nasty work for the users of roads who now, have to pay -for them. I am, etc.,

CARLTON 'HOBBS Otonga, Aug. 9th, 1929.